Ethanol industry hits back an oil industry criticism of E-15 (AUDIO)

An executive in Nebraska’s ethanol industry disputes the claims made by the American Petroleum Institute against E-15, asserting year-round sale will help more than the ethanol industry.

API claims allowing the sale of E-15 year-round would be anti-consumer.

Renewable Fuels Nebraska Executive Director Troy Bredenkamp doesn’t understand how offering the driving public the choice of E-15 is anti-consumer.

“Certainly, the American Petroleum Institute can put whatever spin they want on it, but at the end of the day it’s just good public policy,” Bredenkamp tells Nebraska Radio Network.

Renewable Fuels Nebraska is the trade association for the Nebraska ethanol industry.

API claims E-15 would be harmful to automobiles and especially harmful to small engines, such as in lawnmowers of ATVs. Brednekamp counters that that just isn’t true. He says federal regulations state E-15 is safe for makes from 2001 and that E-15 has been tested on vehicles driven a total of five billion miles without incident.

As for a possible legal challenge, Bredenkamp says ethanol has science and the law on its side.

“So, really we don’t see what the legal challenge may be,” Bredenkamp says. “We certainly expect there to be a legal challenge, because at the end of the day, let’s be honest this all comes down to market share.”

Bredenkamp doesn’t see a need to revisit the Renewable Fuel Standard. He is suspicion about the motivation behind API’s call for Congress to revise the RFS, stating he’s doubtful the oil industry wants the RFS at all.

Bredenkamp is hopeful year-round sale of E-15 might open the market for even higher ethanol-blended fuels, such as E-25 and E-30. He says that would greatly expand the industry, which would benefit Nebraska corn farmers.